Salem State Gifted $500K Walsh Family Scholarship Donation

SALEM, MA — The latest donation from a philanthropic family to Salem State University will support eight undergraduate scholarships at the school each year.

Jean and Rick Walsh, of Harvard, donated $500,000 more to the school recently — making it $1 million in donations over the past 10 years. The Walsh Family Awards provide unrestricted funds for emerging university services supporting students.

Past Walsh donations have supported 24 students with recurring scholarships if they maintained required academic achievement.

"When I went to Salem State 50 years ago, the tuition was affordable enough that my parents didn’t have to help me pay for college," Jean Walsh said in an SSU statement. "I wouldn't have gotten a college education without that kind of accessibility. Rick and I want to make sure that students can still attain an excellent higher education. We believe that scholarships for Salem State students are investments with the best kind of return."

Sandy Huu, a biology major and chemistry minor graduating this May is one of the award recipients.

"I recently returned to college after the burden of finances made me decide to put a hold on my education years ago," Huu said. "The Walsh Family Award helped tremendously. It took away some of the worry about how to pay for school while providing for my son. I excelled last semester and feel that now with a bachelor's degree I can obtain a better future for him and for me."

In addition to the Walsh Family Award, the Walsh family's gift includes an additional $125,000 in unrestricted support for the university. Walsh is asking her fellow graduates of the Class of 1971 to also give back to the university if they are able to do so.

"For some of our students, the cost of textbooks can be the difference between staying in school or dropping out and never returning," said Bonnie Galinski, interim vice president for enrollment management and marketing at Salem State University. 'It’s no exaggeration to say that Jean and Rick Walsh transform lives — enabling our students to earn their degree, take charge of their future, and contribute to the Commonwealth's vitality."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)